


The Offering

by trajektoria



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, M/M, Post High Noon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24130432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trajektoria/pseuds/trajektoria
Summary: Scott Ryder has a problem that only a brainstorming session with his friends can solve. Will Reyes be pleased with the outcome?
Relationships: Male Ryder | Scott/Reyes Vidal, Ryder/Reyes Vidal
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	The Offering

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story about two years ago for a Mass Effect exchange. It featured another Ryder. I rediscovered this story recently and decided to publish it, making some amends, so that it's about my Scott. I just didn't want it to gather dust. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it! 
> 
> No beta, all mistakes are my own.

“Ryder, look out!” Jaal’s terrified scream pulled Ryder out his reverie. Scott blinked and the reality slid into place again. Just in time for him to notice through the Nomad’s windshield that the vehicle was heading straight into one of many pernicious Kadaran crevices.

“Shit!” Scott swerved just in time to avoid plunging to their death or at least into a whole world of pain. He caught a glimpse of Vetra in the backseat, her mandibles clenched tight and her entire body tense to the point of snapping like a rubber band. “Whoops. Sorry, guys. Crisis averted, nothing to see here.”

Jaal and Vetra exchanged glances, not even bothering with subtlety.

“Okay, what’s going on?” asked Vetra, arms crossed over her chest. “No bullshit.”

“What’s going on?” echoed Scott, innocence incarnated.

“I said no bullshit, Ryder.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Sure.” Sarcasm in her voice was more biting than sulfur in pre-vault springs. “You’re a shitty driver on your good day, Scott, but today you nearly killed us four times. And it’s not even noon yet.”

“I–” He started but he wasn’t given the opportunity to reply.

“Ryder, look out!” Jaal repeated the warning, this time with more anger than panic.

Scott turned his attention back to the road, glad to have Vetra off his back. Instantly, he understood what Jaal had meant. A group of bandits in the distance were prepping for combat, their guns aimed straight at the Nomad. Some pathetic survivors of the Outcasts purge most likely, still hellbent on taking down the Pathfinder, who in their eyes aided the Charlatan in the murder of Sloane Kelly and the subsequent takeover of the Port.

A huge grin spread over Scott’s face. Perfect. He could use a distraction. And some fun.

“Dibs!” He cried out cheerfully, slamming his foot onto the accelerator. The engine revved as the car shot forward like a bullet. Jaal and Vetra said nothing, the velocity pressing them hard into their seats. Ever the professionals, they readied they guns despite having trouble to breathe.

Scott didn’t need a weapon. He _was_ a weapon.

He stopped the car a dozen yards from the bandits. Most of them squatted on the cliff above the road, having faith that the large boulders would provide sufficient cover as they shot down at the Nomad without a pause or mercy.

Oh boy, they were wrong, so wrong.

The rest of the bandits scattered around on the ground, hiding behind makeshift barricades. For now, they weren’t his concern. He trusted Vetra and Jaal to take out that particular garbage themselves.

Scott needed only a second to assess the situation. He flung the door to the car open, his biotics flaring purple. He looked up at the closest bandit above, whose shots were bouncing off his biotic shield, not hurting him in the least, more like annoying buzzing of flies.

The world bent around Scott as he gathered and channeled his power, the energy sizzling in his bones and underneath his skin. With his blue eyes trailed on his target, he concentrated and then released the accumulated power in one charge. Faster than light, he crossed the distance between him and his target. The bandit didn’t even have time to realize what had happened before a strong nova punch right at his feet sent him and a few of his colleagues flying like broken toys. Not giving the survivors time to react, Scott spread his arms and sent balls of energy their way, knocking them out with powerful bursts. Adrenaline pumped in his veins and his biotics flared with each carefully measured movement. The barrage against his biotic barrier subsided, meaning that Jaal and Vetra down below were doing their job as they should.

One of the bandits on the cliff, seeing his comrades being eliminated with ease and glee, turned around and ran like hell, the cloud of dirt billowing after him. Scott couldn’t afford to let him go. Not when he wanted to bring peace to Kadara one day. As long as the Outcasts lived, that was just a pipe dream.

Again, the reality warped around him, as he accumulated energy and released it, charging at the man at full speed. The bandit never stood a chance.

The silence that fell over the area was the ultimate proof that the resistance had been subdued and dealt with. Scott inhaled deeply a few times to even out his breathing. He didn’t feel particularly tired, as the bandits were hardly a challenge to someone who had taken down a few Architects. No, it was more a habit to get instantly ready for another fight, something that had been drilled into him in his brief stint in the Alliance. Kicking bad guys’ asses? He could do it a whole day. Breath in, breath out.

Invigorated, he floated down the cliff to join his friends. Neither Jaal nor Vetra seemed particularly battle worn as well. They ate scum like this for breakfast.

“Now that was fun,” Scott said radiantly.

“Messy,” corrected Jaal, scrunching his nose. His opinion on Kadara didn’t improve in the recent time. If possible, it even became worse with how often they came to the planet, guided more by Scott’s heart than a real necessity. Some sadistic part of Scott enjoyed bringing Jaal with him every time. The angara’s constant distaste and passive-aggressiveness were the unending source of free entertainment.

“You’re going to make someone very happy,” Vetra said with a grimace that for her species counted as a smirk.

“Already on it,” Scott replied, firing up his omni-tool. His fingers danced on the buttons, forming a message.

_I relieved a few Outcasts of their equipment. Send your guys to the attached coordinates for retrieval. You’re welcome._

_Love, Scott_

The reply was almost instantaneous. Reading it, Scott couldn’t stop grinning like a fool.

_A gift worthy of a king. Swing by the Tartarus when you’re free from saving the world. I need to repay you and I think I have a few ideas._

_Thinking of you always,_

_Reyes_

Scott sighed, rubbing his neck. The message made his heart beat faster. Mainly due to the renewed anxiety.

“What? No cow eyes? No warm and fuzzy feelings?” asked Vetra, sizing him up. “What’s going on with you today, Ryder?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Scott insisted but only half-heartedly.

“Bullshit. You’re so distracted it’s a miracle that the Nomad didn’t end up as a burning wreck. And you’re not jumping sky high after getting a message from your smuggler boyfriend. So what the hell is eating away at you?”

“Vetra–”

“As interesting as this conversation is shaping up to be,” Jaal interrupted, “we shouldn’t have it in the middle of the road surrounded by corpses.”

“Right. Good point. Let’s get back to the Nomad,” Scott decided, already on his way. If he harbored any delusions that his friends would let it go, they were squashed mercilessly as soon as the door of the vehicle closed behind them. Vetra was watching him like a hawk and Jaal couldn’t hide his curiosity.

“I don’t remember seeing you so agitated before, Scott,” he said, tilting his head. “Are you dealing with some kind of emotional turmoil? You humans bottle up emotions too much. It’s not healthy. You should open up more.”

Scott rolled his eyes. Just what he needed. A lecture on emotional deficiencies of his species.

“I’m fine, Jaal, thanks.”

“If you say that you’re fine one more time I will personally break my rifle over your thick skull.” Apparently, Vetra ran out of patience. “So talk.”

Scott squirmed in his seat. There was no way out but to spill the beans. He deflated somewhat, bracing himself for impact.

“You’re gonna laugh.”

“No, we won’t,” promised Jaal.

“Sure we will,” promised Vetra. “So?”

Scott cast her a heavy glare. Well, at least she was honest.

“I’m… in doubt about something,” he said after a long pause.

“It’s easier to milk an anhi than get anything out of you, Ryder,” grumbled Jaal.

“In doubt about what?” asked Vetra, all ears. “Someone deserves a bullet? Just say a word.”

“If anyone, it’s only me,” Scott said, rubbing his forehead. “I… well. I have an idea but I’m not sure... The thing is that Reyes is having birthday soon and I don’t know what to get him…”

“Birthday gift?” Vetra gawked at him and groaned like an exasperated older sister. “That’s your dilemma that nearly cost us our lives?”

Jaal on the other hand beamed at him, delighted.

“Fret not my human friend. Getting a gift is not a difficult task if your faithful friends have your back. You simply need to get him something personal, something that’s important to you and will be a meaningful gift to your significant other. Anyone would appreciate that.”

“Hm…” Scott fell into reverie. There was some wisdom in Jaal’s words. Vetra didn’t give him a chance to mull it over for long though.

“Personal? On Kadara? No, you should go with practical. Something useful. Hard to be sentimental when your basic needs are not met.”

Vetra had a point as well. Two opposing ideas on two ends of the spectrum from his closest friends. Jaal and Vetra started bickering who was in the right here, arguments flying left, right, high and low. Scott barely listened to them. Some ideas were at least stirring in his mind. Good.

“SAM, contact the Tempest. We need an extraction,” he said, already miles away. His future looked busy. But bright.

* * *

Scott walked through the Tartarus, pep in his gait, despite the heavy bag in his hand. His crew hadn’t been too happy to see him go without his armor but he paid them no mind. He’d done it too many times to count. And besides he pitied the dumbass who’d try to hassle him.

The music was so loud that he felt it pounding in his bones. The eyes of the patrons never left him as he moved through the dancefloor. Everyone here knew who he was. The Pathfinder. The ally of the Charlatan. And a ‘close associate’ of Reyes Vidal. Untouchable if you wanted to continue living on Kadara. Or living at all.

Scott nodded at Kian who nodded back at him. Their wordless conversation divulged that Reyes was upstairs. Perfect.

Smiling to himself, Scott climbed up the stairs, so pumped up that he was nearly flying. Feeling excitement but also pangs of anxiety, Scott typed up the codes and opened the door.

As expected, the King of Kadara, sprawled on the couch like on a throne, was typing something furiously on his omni-tool. And as always, when he looked up to see who dared to disturb him and saw his lover, his golden eyes lit up with joy. No matter how busy Reyes was–and he _wa_ s busy, pretty much running the whole planet– everything was always put on the backburner. Scott entered the room. One of the many reasons why he loved the shady smuggler so much. He knew how to make a boy feel special.

“Ah, Ryder. I was just thinking about you,” he said, shutting down the omni-tool.

“Your emails suggest that you’re always thinking about me,” he slipped into a flirting mode. It just felt so natural, like breathing.

“And that’s the truth.” Reyes smiled, that smooth and suave mannerism that was so endearingly infuriating. “How could I not with such an attractive Pathfinder who takes out Kadaran trash for me? I owe you a round of drinks.”

“Several in fact. You never pay anyway.” Scott rolled his eyes not without fondness. He cut through the room, left the bag on the table, and unceremoniously sat in Reyes’s lap, wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck. Their bodies slotted together as their lips found each other. The most pleasant part of every meeting. Scott relaxed as Reyes’s hands roamed across his back. The kiss felt electric, the traces of whiskey on Reyes’s lips only enticing him more. But before things went into a more heated direction, and they were decidedly heading there, Scott stopped his lover, pulled back and placed a finger on his lips, only to replace it one more time with his lips for a quick peck, nothing more.

“I have something for you,” Scott said, relishing the interested reflected in Reyes’s features.

“Oh?”

“Well, yeah…” Scott cleared his throat. For some reason he felt slightly unease. Better to get this over with quickly, before he either chickened out or let the awkwardness of the moment ruin everything. “I thought about this long and hard. And I have three things for you. Happy Birthday.”

A strange expression flickered through Reyes’s face. Something between a surprise, disbelief and a hint of panic as if he was wondering how did Ryder even got such sensitive information as his date of birth. Old habits died hard, Scott supposed. Maybe Reyes even forgot that he had told him that at some point. Still, all that dissolved into warmth apparent in Reyes’s eyes, something Scott knew was only for him. The softer side of the Charlatan.

“You are a gift all in yourself, Ryder. I don’t need anything else.”

“Well, if you don’t want it…”

Reyes laughed, playful and relaxed. Beautiful.

“Oh no, no, please proceed. By all means. I’m a greedy man, did you forget?”

Scott of course didn’t. But he was second guessing himself now whether the gifts were the right one or not. Too late to back off though.

“So… I’ve been advised that the best gifts are the thoughtful ones. Something meaningful. Like… something that means something to me and could by extension mean something to you too. So… I want you to have this.”

Scott leaned and picked up the bag. He was still hesitating if this was a good idea or a bad one. At any rate, it was too late to change his mind now. Scott picked up the helmet, Alec Ryder’s helmet, and handed it to his lover.

Reyes blinked at him in confusion, the magnitude of the gift slowly registering with him.

“Scott…”

“Take it. It’s for you.”

“I can’t take it.”

“Take it—”

“I can’t.” Reyes shook his head and kissed Scott’s cheek, softening the harshness of refusal. “Thank you, love. I appreciate it, please don’t think that I don’t. But I can’t accept it. This… this holds too much meaning for you. Don’t deny it. You would regret it if you gave it to me. Besides, I wouldn’t even be able to use it properly. It would just gather dust and that would have been a shame. So please, keep it. Trust me on that.”

Scott smiled. Again, Reyes turned out to be smarter than him. Scott acted on impulse and those things rarely ended well. Reyes knew him better than he knew himself. As a reward he kissed his lover again, and then put the helmet back on the table.

“Well, good thing then that I prepared something else for you or it’d be awkward.”

“Don’t keep me waiting.”

“I thought you are a patient man.”

“I am. But I’m also inquisitive. Your ideas are usually… unorthodox.”

Scott decided to take that as a compliment.

“This one is probably the most unorthodox of them all,” Scott said, knowing that he was raising the suspense. “And also probably the most useful. Practical gift for a pragmatic person. Check this out.”

Scott adjusted himself on Reyes’s lap and fired up his omni-tool. He wasn’t looking at the device, his eyes were fixed on his lover, relishing the look of surprise on Reyes’s face as he viewed a holo message recorded by no one else than the Director Tann himself.

“ _To the Charlatan, the unofficial ruler of Kadara_.” Director Tann looked as if these words were bringing him physical pain but he pushed on. “ _With the growing importance of Kadara and the Kadara Port in the cluster, the Nexus recognizes that maintaining friendly relationship with our neighbors can bring mutual benefits. That is why the Nexus extends a hand to the ruler of Kadara Port and wants to propose the introduction of visas for the Exiles that would facilitate trade and travels between both places. I am willing to discuss the details with the ruler of Kadara Port at their earliest convenience. I hope that we will be able to reach an agreement satisfactory to both sides. Director Tann out._ ”

The message ended. Reyes said nothing. He blinked and stared at Scott, completely overwhelmed by what had happened.

“Well…” Scott scratched his neck. The silence was deafening. “I know it’s not a full amnesty but it’s a start.”

“It’s your doing, isn’t it?” Reyes asked, a smile spreading over his features.

“Yeah. Wasn’t easy. Tann’s a dick.”

“I can imagine. Still, I’m impressed. Thank you, Scott. To be recognized as partners by the Nexus and not just dirt criminals that’s… that’s huge. It can mean a new start for Kadara and its people.” Reyes smiled. “That’s the best present I’ve ever got.”

“And that’s not the last one.” Scott wiggled his eyebrows.

“Oh?” Reyes instantly gave him a smoldering look. “What else is in store for me?”

“Me, what else?”

Scott pressed his lips to Reyes’s, both hungry and both curving into a smile.


End file.
